Open Floor Plan Pros & Cons

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Open floors plans are everywhere. It seems that no matter what home improvement show you watch, everyone and their mothers are choosing to go with an open floor plan.

Who could blame them? After all, it’s the new fad in home remodeling. Open floor plans give you more light, a larger entertainment space and makes small rooms seem larger. Nonetheless, as is the case with any home remodeling design, there are certain disadvantages that come with an open floor plan as well.

Before you remodel your kitchen and tear down those expensive walls, be sure to review all the pros and cons of open floor plans.

Pros of Open Floor Plans:

Optimum Multitasking

The open floor plan is a dream come true for parents across the country. Oftentimes, children are playing in the other room as you prepare dinner or meet a tight deadline for work. Well, those parents of young children will love open floor plans because it allows for optimum multitasking.

You can safely watch your two-year-old walk around and still finish work on your new kitchen island. You can help your 11-year-old with his homework as you cook your famous meatloaf.

By having the kitchen and living room combined, the world of multitasking opens up.

More Natural Light

Natural light makes you feel good. It brings a sense of optimism into any room. Well, open floor plans allow for more natural light to travel throughout the house.

Once those big walls are removed, natural light from the big window in the living room or smaller windows in the kitchen come to together to light up the room every day!

Furthermore, more natural light will reduce your electric costs and anything that can save money should always be considered.

Makes A Small Room Feel Bigger

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If there is one thing I have learned in this industry, it’s that everyone feels like they have a small kitchen. Well, the best way to add space or create the illusion of more space is to open up those walls and go with an open floor plan.

Bear in mind, successful open plan designs are all about a sense of airiness and spaciousness. Oftentimes, living rooms feel larger due to vaulted or two-story ceilings. Rarely does the kitchen have tall ceilings. However, conjoining the two means both rooms get the benefit of added space trending up.

Gives You A Larger Entertainment Area

If you love hosting the holidays, having friends over for Sunday football or just enjoy spending time with the family, then an open floor plan is for you.

One of the biggest drawbacks to a closed layout is the separation. Even if you’re the cook of the family, you want to feel connected and not lose out on the valuable time you have with the rest of the family. Well, with an open floor plan, even if you’re cooking dinner and the kids are watching TV, you can feel connected. You can see and relate to what they are watching. Likewise, one of the boys can help with dinner and still chat with his sister.

For those special occasions where you have the entire family over, the open plan allows easy flow and prevents overcrowding in one area. If you have a big family, this solution can do wonders for your next Thanksgiving.

Cons of Open Floor Plans:

Kitchens are Not Always Clean

Despite what you see on the Food Network, cooking is often a dirty process. Furthermore, many homeowners use the kitchen as a workspace. That means the room tends to get disorganized. Well, in an open floor plan, these messes have nowhere to hide. Once the kitchen gets dirty, the entire first floor gets dirty.

Before you go with an open floor plan, really evaluate how clean your family is. Open floor plans only look pretty if everything is nice and tidy. Don’t invest in a design that doesn’t make sense for you and your family.

Bonus Con: Smell is not a sense that stays in one place. Yes, you may have cooked a gorgeous turkey that smells great, but the smell of those dirty dishes or smoke also resonate throughout open floor plans.

No Quiet Time

Noise tends to travel when there is no interrupted space. Therefore, when you try to watch the newest episode of Modern Family and the kids are playing five feet away, you may not hear what Phil is saying.

The same goes for football on Sundays, girl’s night or even inviting friends over. Sometimes, we need our alone time and open floor plans drastically reduce time away from others. It may sound mean, but we all have those moments.

Kids Can See You Too

We all have our embarrassing moments. Yes, open floor plans give us the ability to see the children as they play and watch TV. However, they can see you too. Sooner or later, your children will get older and I assure you that there will be a fair share of awkward moments.

Open Floor Plans are Expensive

According to our kitchen renovation cost estimator, the average price to remodel a kitchen is $17,226. This is a lot of money to a lot of people. And, as you have seen on TV and read throughout our blog, surprises always come up.

You may think the wall between your kitchen and living room is not load bearing, but you won’t know until you open it up. If it is and you still want to go with an open floor plan, your total budget just hit a dent.

Most homes come with closed concepts. If you choose to remodel and open it up, plan on opening your checkbook.

Conclusion

Open floor plans may be the new fad in the industry, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you value quality time with the family and like to host parties, then an open floor plan may be right for you. On the other hand, if you value silence or are looking to save some cash, then closed is your best bet.